Calendar Girls Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
They dropped everything for a good cause.
Drop everything this holiday season.
Some ladies will do anything for a good cause.
A Full Monty-female style!
In the small town of Knapely, Yorkshire, England, Annie Clarke (Julie Walters) has just lost her husband, who was ill with leukemia. Inspired in his speech to the local Women's Institute, where he said that "the flowers of Yorkshire are like the women of Yorkshire", and "the last phase of the women of Yorkshire is always the most glorious", her best friend Chris Harper (Helen Mirren) decides to make a calendar with twelve local middle-age women nude to raise funds for the wing of leukemia treatment in the local hospital. The calendar becomes well succeeded, making them famous and affecting their lives.
| Helen Mirren | Chris Harper |
| Julie Walters | Annie Clarke |
| John Alderton | John Clarke |
| Linda Bassett | Cora |
| Annette Crosbie | Jessie |
| Philip Glenister | Lawrence Sertain |
| Ciarán Hinds | Rod Harper |
| Celia Imrie | Celia |
| Geraldine James | Marie |
| Penelope Wilton | Ruth Reynoldson |
| George Costigan | Eddie Reynoldson |
| Graham Crowden | Richard |
| John Fortune | Frank |
| Georgie Glen | Kathy |
| Angela Curran | May Wilkinson |
| Nigel Cole |
7.00 out of 10 (6772 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Nice timewaster.
posted on 25 Jul 2009This is a quientaessential British movie, it explores the best of the British psyche: the sense of community, the good sense of humour, the outdated institutions and how common sense can triumph over convencionalism and comformity.Unfortunately for the movie, once the characters are outrooted from their original environment into the vacous glamour of Hollywood, the director and the script run short of ideas. A tyresome explanation of how some conflicts develop is used as an excuse to parade the characters on US TV shows and to paint all related to Hollywood as hyper commercial and corrupting, like if the viewer would not have those generalizations already engraved on his mind. The film loses the chance to dig a bit deeper into the motivations of these women and how they change, choosing instead to aim for a cheap easy contrasting of the British ladies against the brutish Californian city life.The best part of the movie is how these conservative women move from a crazy idea to a beautiful and dignified expression of self belief. Once that is done and dusted all the rest is mainly unnecessary filling that could have been cut.
Absolutely delightful
posted on 03 Jul 2009I really enjoyed this film. Julie Walters was excellent, as she always is, and Helen Mirren was also extremely well cast in the role of Chris. For me, however, Celia Imrie stole the show.The whole film had a lovely charm to it, and there's no way I would compare it to The Full Monty, as it was completely different in both tone, storyline, and the audience it was aimed at. The only similarity I would find would be the older generation stripping off, but their reasons for doing so were like chalk and cheese.There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments in this film and I would recommend it to anyone, of any age.
Absolutely Beautiful
posted on 23 Jun 2009UK does not produce a lot of films, but what it makes, it is wellmade. The photography of this film is stunning, the scenery ofYorkshire Dales is beyond believe, it is like oil painting. All of thescenery shots are well composed, well balanced. Although I must say,they must have waited for years for the lovely weather to turn up, asusually that part of UK is dull and wet, even in summer. The stillphotos of the ladies, although they are not the originals,are veryartistic and well made. The story line is simple, yet moving. Thewhole package is a pleasing moving which I could recommend to anyone.
Great for all ages
posted on 15 Jun 2009I've seen this film about three times now and it's rapidly becoming one of my favourite films of all time. Stunning performances from Helen Mirren, Julie Walters and my favourite, Celia Imrie! The girls all displayed immense braveness by taking their clothes off in front of the other cast and the crew and I think that they all looked gorgeous! A sense of patriotism for the beautiful place it's set in comes across when you watch it, and living in Yorkshire, I think they have got the attitudes and language that people in Yorkshire use perfect.The way the characters are portrayed and the way the story unfolds is cleverly subtle and the casting is perfect. I'm 14 and I love it, so it's great for everyone! It's a must see film and I don't have a bad word to say about it so please watch it and I guarantee you'll love it.
Brilliant acting, great script, very funny
posted on 03 Jun 2009Brilliant acting not just by Helen Mirren and Julie Walters but the entire cast. Great script with realistic dialogue, it shows the characters thought process. Very, very funny!! All of the characters have realistic interpersonal relationships with friends, husbands, children. It shows the joys and complications of success.
Good flick. Smart, thought-provoking and entertaining.
posted on 16 May 2009This is a very fun movie and the older woman are absolutely as beautiful as the young actresses in Hollywood.My wife and I had a lot of fun with this movie. See it and maybe you'll start to lower your inhibitions as well.Kenneth Wajda
Inspiring and Refreshing comedy
posted on 02 Apr 2009This was a film that said something that unfortunately we Americans don't quite "get" in these types of films (as noted from a previous comment). This is not a happy-go-lucky Disney film, it's about real life, and makes you think for yourself.The best part was not just the scenery, it was about the liberation of women throughout the film and the message to all women that (like wine) women get better with time. No matter your husband, friends, or relatives....you can make anything happen for yourself! .. oh and they did!I found the film inspiring, and heart-felt. Who can't relate when a loved one dies? It's about what you do for your fellow living that counts... and a leather sofa won't do it for the crying room for these beautiful and courageous women of mild age. Bravo to them! Well done, gals!The dark part of this film, I do agree, is when they reach Los Angeles. The tempo of the film reaches into the ugly American and the exploitation of a good thing. It doesn't send a very nice message about the US,.. but it did happen, after all.I highly recommend this film, if you enjoyed Ya-Ya Sisterhood, or Joy Luck Club, etc. It's right up there with Steel Magnolias and Terms of Endearment. Go rent this film now!
It is a pure movie that any audience can enjoy and will walk away from feeling uplifted.
posted on 15 Mar 2009Perhaps one of the toughest moments that anyone could have to face is the loss of a loved one-especially when it is due to cancer. But what if the loss of that person's life can be recognized, and the future for others in the same situation can be bettered. It is what the women of Yorkshire, England believed when one of their beloved persons was lost. `Calendar Girls' is a fresh comedy about a group of twelve women who want to raise money for a local hospital to help fight leukemia. But their manner of doing it is quite unorthodox, especially considering their age. They will pose nude for a calendar. Do not get the impression that their nudity will be any form of pornography-these are ladies and deserve to be treated as such. Their pictures will be taken behind cooking utensils, potted plants, menus and various forms of food as a reflection of their Women's Institute principles. The end result is a delightful blend of comedy and a perfect amount of sentimentality to create a film that touches all of our hearts. Based on a true story, `Calendar Girls' tells the tale of Annie (Julie Walters), whose husband John (John Alderton) has recently died due to cancer. Feeling that his death was in vain and seeing how her Women's Institute is planning on raising money for a charitable cause, Annie and her friend Chris (Helen Mirren) decide to pose nude for a calendar. Naturally there is scrutiny among the women asked to pose, as well as the chairperson of the club. But after seeking unanimous approval, they embark on doing the calendar. When all is said and done, the women become an instant success not only in England, but are recognized across the world for their noble cause.But with their fame comes tabloid mania and family problems. Annie wonders if all the excess attention and advertising is necessary to remember John. As for Chris, her husband unwittingly tells a tabloid journalist that his wife has not made love to him in weeks because of the constant attention she receives from the calendar. Furthermore, her son feels embarrassed that his nearly middle-aged mother is posing nude. It becomes necessary for the women to realize the real purpose of the calendar-to raise money for a great man who loved them as much as they loved him.
There is a line spoken by John prior to his death in which he reads his wife a speech he wrote. He says, `The women of Yorkshire are like the flowers of Yorkshire. With each passing stage, the more beautiful they become, with their final stage being the most beautiful.' It is a touching sentiment and hits the nail right on the nose about how remarkable the women were. They cared for a cause, and for the people involved. They would face possible humiliation and certain adversity, but would come out on top.There is an important point to be made with this film-the element of beauty at any age. Yes these women are middle-aged and the general thought behind any form of nudity is that it should focus on youth and vitality. But these women are every bit as beautiful as younger models, and probably more vivacious.
This film does not try to be anything it is not. It does not want to humor us with slapstick humor, or distasteful sexual remarks. It is a pure movie that any audience can enjoy and will walk away from feeling uplifted. ***
Predictable, but still enjoyable.
posted on 11 Feb 2009Calendar Girls (2003), directed by Nigel Cole, is a fairly predictable feel-good movie. Two close friends, Chris (Helen Mirren) and Annie (Julie Walters), decide to raise money for a couch in the waiting room of the local hospital. To do this, they and ten friends pose for a calendar, in which they are portrayed nude. (Well, they're nude, but neither we nor the calendar actually shows any nudity; the view of each women is blocked by strategically placed props.)This is a pretty thin story line, and I think the director and writers struggled to add enough sub-plots to fill out the movie. The sub-plots are artificial and not really organic to the plot--just something to watch until the credits come on.Despite all this, the film is probably worth watching. The Yorkshire scenery is glorious, and Helen Mirren can carry a movie just by being on the screen. Not a great film, but still enjoyable.
Very uplifting (with 22 exceptions)
posted on 18 Jan 2009"Calendar Girls" tells of the exploits of 11 British women - all fifty-something-and-up members of a Women's Club - who decide to pose in the nude for a calendar to raise money for a local charity following the death of one of their spouses. The result is a media feeding frenzy which reaches all the way to Hollywood and The Tonight Show. A warm and fuzzy flick with an up-beat attitude about life (and death), "Calendar Girls" is a fun frolic which conjures moments of pathos and poignancy, sentiment and sass as the women grapple with the repercussions of their escapade. This British comedy romp should play best with females and more mature males. (B)
Go see it!
posted on 02 Jan 2009I've been getting a little tired of the computer-enhanced extravaganzas that have been flung at viewers over the past few years. You know what I'm talking about--the movies that are short on plot, acting or both which are bolstered up by loud FX and revolutionary digital animation so that it becomes "special effects in search of a picture". I'm delighted to say that CALENDAR GIRLS has nothing of the kind. It's all about the plot, all about the women involved, and all about laughing so hard you cry--or maybe about being able to forget tears in deep laughter, if only for a moment.The acting is superb. One hardly needs to mention Helen Mirren. I read one comment that pans her Yorkshire accent; well, I attended it with an Englishwoman who is very familiar with such an accent and she specifically told me that her accent never slipped, so I've no idea where that comment came from.Having been involved with the world of cancer treatment recently (fortunately with a happier outcome for my mother, a survivor of breast cancer) this movie strikes close to home. It's completely accurate; it's not pretty and it's often degrading, no matter how much the oncological staff tries to make it easier. The movie is also accurate in the kind of sentiments it expresses about cancer. People who have been touched by that filthy disease will do ANYTHING to fight it. (I sat on a spin bike for twenty-four consecutive hours in aid of breast cancer less than two weeks ago, so I do know what I'm talking about.) Yes, a few liberties with the real story have been taken. So what? The result is a coherent progression that is more interested in human beings than plot details. And isn't that what it should be about?I've heard this dismissed as a movie for "older people". I'm proud to be of that number--after all, at the age of thirty-five I'm ten years out of the target demographic at which Hollywood films are aimed. If by "older people" they mean people who want a movie to be about something important as opposed to the latest spectacular light show, I'm glad to be of that number. I'd recommend this to anyone who's interested in a movie that is both hysterically funny and deeply touching. It has re-inspired me in the battle against cancer, and if it does that to anyone else, it will have made a worthwhile difference.
Quite good.
posted on 03 Dec 2008I thought this film was alright... quite a good British/English film...Thought it was interesting that it was based on a true story, the story of a woman's quest to honour the memory of her deceased husband. There seemed to be a spate of this kind of thing Firemen, Normal Nurses/Doctors all posing for nude charity calendars. If it's for charity... it must be good - eh?Thought all of the cast were quite good Helen Mirren stood out though.. as did the relationship with her son. I thought this was really funny and evolved throughout the film.Overall an enjoyable 6/10 for me.
... would have made a terrific ‘short film'
posted on 21 Nov 2008Menz a menz. It would have made a terrific ‘short film'. There were 31 minutes of prime screen time. The editors retained 108. The 31 tell an
original (true) story before stretching plot lines beyond my endurance. It tried to hold my attention. It failed.Middle-aged women in my theater giggled on cue throughout. The cue was anything relating to bra removal. Men sat courteously still, munching popcorn, happy to make their dates happy, hoping for better things later that night. Watching grandma undress did not light my candle.Helen Mirren was - as always - excellent. I first discovered her in 99 portraying Ayn Rand; then later in Gosford Park. She's a great character actress. The supporting cast was good but unspectacular (yawning here).Women should see it with other women. I'll re-watch Last Samurai or Lord of the Rings III next time. 5 / 10.
The unbearable cuteness of being a menopausal W.I. member.
posted on 17 Nov 2008It's bad enough that Yorkshire people should have to contend with having their beautiful county being divided into "Summer Wine Country", "Heartbeat Country","Emmerdale Country","Herriot Country" etc etc,now they are faced with a further sub - division,viz:-"Calendar Girls Country",a place where it is forever 1950 and where the inhabitants are predominantly English actresses of a certain age speaking with the generic RADA "Northern" accent. I have the greatest of respect for the W.I.,a formidable organisation that my mother,grandmother and aunt all were proud to belong to and there is no doubt that its members work long and hard both collectively and individually to better the lot of those less fortunate than themselves.For a number of middle - aged women from its ranks to publish a nude calendar for charity featuring photographs of themselves took thinking way outside the box and not inconsiderable courage. Mr A. Bennett could have written a funny and touching ten minute monologue about it,and perhaps have had it read by Miss P.Routledge but unfortunately he didn't.Instead they made "Calendar Girls". Set in a never - never -land where undoubtedly charabancs and steam trains still roam the dales,it is redolent of the worst excesses of "Ealing-ism".Rural living is sanitized - all village fetes and well - maintained smallholdings.Men are reduced to being hewers of wood and drawers of water,and not particularly good at that either.The only one with any charm or individuality is hastily killed off(Mr J.Alderton). This leaves mesdames Walters,Mirren et al free to indulge in an orgy of sisterly overacting. You can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse and Mis H Mirren is still breathtakingly beautiful,she just sounds as if she has been dubbed by a barmaid from "The Woolpack".The ubiquitous Miss J.Walters carries on where she left off in "Billy Elliot".Whether that is a recommendation or not depends on whether you were enchanted or exhausted by her performance in that movie. Many of the other ladies are familiar from their countless appearances on TV and trot out variations of their previous existences that will please if not exactly challenge their admirers. They are all "Characters",not one of them is remotely like a real person because they are too well - known to ever be anything other than "That woman from (fill in any long - running series) on telly". They can all "do" cute,lovable and eccentric in their sleep,but,to make it worthy of its subject "Calendar Girls" needed to celebrate the courage of "ordinary" women who are not cute,lovable and eccentric but just like the women in front of you in the queue at Tesco's,handing over the coupons to get 40p off a packet of Daz.Somehow I cannot see Miss H.Mirren doing that.Those were the women who took their clothes off for that calendar,not TV soap stars to whom undressing for the camera is just another day at the office. Instead,"Calendar Girls" chooses to patronise them,treat them as if they were appearing in a "Victoria Wood on TV Special",which is a great pity because they were worth much more than that.
Yorkshire Accents Require Subtitles
posted on 09 Nov 2008"Calendar Girls" is an amusing comedy of the sort that the British have done very well during the past 50 years. Helen Mirren (Chris) and Julie Waters (Annie) are excellent as the two best friends who execute Chris' idea of a nude calendar to raise funds for the leukemia wing of the hospital where Annie's husband died. Like many British films centered on areas outside London, it brings in accents that are difficult for these American ears. I've often wished that the British would add subtitles at some points so that I'd know what's being said. That may sound ridiculous but the PBS News Hour and occasionally CNN do it regularly when Iraqis or Pakistanis or Afghans, for example, are being interviewed in English that is hard for viewers to understand. Although the story is easy to follow, there were some scenes where my wife and I lost lines of dialog because of impenetrable accents. Even though I've spent a fair amount of time in England, I confess that I'm often baffled by North Country and Midlands accents. Perhaps in exchange we could provide British audiences with subtitles for regional accents in the U.S.
Forty and Fabulous
posted on 30 Oct 2008I enjoyed this movie so much and instantly thought of my mother, so I bought not one copy but two and sent it off to her for her birthday. I did laugh my head off in one scene and cry in the next, it really makes you feel. Its a feel good movie even when there are sad moments and any person with a mom should share this movie with her. Give a copy to your mom for Mother's Day or any day just because. Everyday women, with everyday lives and all its ups and downs, coping with themselves, husbands, kids, friends, work and just nosy bodies in general. It may even make men look at women in a whole different way, after all as beautiful as the women's body is, they also have a brain, and most are quite capable of using it, given half a chance. We are strong and with our minds set we can and will accomplish just about anything. And that is also part of the point of this movie.
You'll laugh and cry...then laugh and cry some more
posted on 22 Oct 2008This is basically a light-hearted romp - with some serious side themes - through a small English town with a fun group of middle-aged and older ladies who decide that it might be a hoot if their annual organization's calendar fundraiser (usually a flop) included nude (not naked!) shots of the ladies doing the domestic things that they do.While much of the film is predictable (it was based on an actual event), you will laugh and cry…and then laugh and cry some more. Helen Mirren & Julie Walters are the ringleaders of a great British cast - and they find their project is more successful than they ever would have imagined. There are great laughs as the photographer (who at first was not going to be in the room when the ladies disrobed) takes the calendar shots, from Miss January to the group December photo. If you're worried, it's very tastefully done.You won't be disappointed with this one. Even better than `The Full Monty.'
9 of 10 stars
'We're going to need considerably bigger buns…'
posted on 10 Oct 2008CALENDAR GIRLS is the poignant, funny and basically true story of a small group of women in a Yorkshire branch of the Women's Institute who decide to do something special for their annual calendar. W.I. calendars traditionally feature craftwork, baking, flower arranging, that kind of thing, and their calendar will be no exception. There will be one big difference however. They're going use local members in the photographs - and they're going to do it naked.Needless to say this idea not only causes quite a stir in their small Yorkshire village, but also in the W.I. itself, but these are feisty women and not ones to be put off by the disdain of others.Annie (Julie Walters – HARRY POTTER, BILLY ELLIOTT, EDUCATING RITA) has recently lost her beloved husband John to Leukaemia and wants to use the calendar to raise money to buy a sofa, in his memory, for the waiting room in the local hospital. Her old friend Chris (Helen Mirren – PRIME SUSPECT, GOSFORD PARK, THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER), a rebellious member of the local W.I., comes up with the idea of doing it naked after she spots a girly calendar at her local garage.Remember these are all middle-aged and elderly ladies and the idea of stripping off in front of a camera doesn't come easily to some of them. As Annie says at one point when one of the other girls expresses her concern: 'None of us have been here before, love. I mean, for God's sake, my John didn't see me naked until the spring of 1975.' 'Why, what happened in the spring of 1975?' she's asked. 'A lizard ran into the shower cubicle…' Eventually, after facing numerous obstacles, i.e.: convincing the W.I., finding a suitable photographer, winning over their husbands and kids, and not least overcoming their own inhibitions, the calendar is published.Once the media get hold of the story, the girls become nationally, then internationally, famous. The calendar starts to sell out worldwide and the girls achieve celebrity status, even to the point of eventually finding themselves on the Jay Leno show. Chris loves this. Not only will it raise huge amounts of money but also she actually likes the lifestyle, even though it is causing problems on the domestic front. Annie however is not so happy, as all she wanted to do was raise a little money to buy a sofa. Now it all seems to have gotten out of hand and everyone seems to have forgotten why they did the thing in the first place: Her husband's memory. As she says to Chris: 'I'd rob every penny from this calendar if it would buy me just one more hour with him'.This is a lovely film that skilfully plays with your emotions. The lush, green rolling hills and stone cottages of Yorkshire are captured beautifully and create a great contrast to the later scenes when the girls are in L.A. Truly two different worlds. There are some great lines too, like the elderly couple chatting over breakfast: 'You're nude in The Telegraph, dear. (Beat) Can you pass the bacon…' and when they're setting up a baking photo where the model is being helped by the other girls to hide her modesty behind some buns, Chris finally tells the photographer: 'Lawrence, we're going to need considerably bigger buns…'The performances are perfect throughout, as you would expect from such a stalwart and experienced cast, and the roles are underplayed just to the right degree. It's a case study, not in acting, but reacting. The 'Naked Truth' documentary on the DVD introduces you to the real life calendar girls upon whom the story is based and the other doc shows the actresses creating a second calendar for 2004 which was sold for the same good cause as the original. The deleted scenes, though interesting, were wisely cut.If you're a FOUR WEDDINGS, NOTTING HILL, FULL MONTY or LOVE ACTUALLY fan then this is for you.
Nice to see real women in a movie
posted on 15 Aug 2008I'm so sick of seeing movies with sculptured Barbie dolls in them. Women don't really reach their peak until about 40. Their looks may have peaked by 40, but they more than makeup for that in personality and sexuality.
These actresses looked like any women's group I would find in town. They were far more interesting than the bunch Hugh Heffner hangs around with. This was a funny movie that is a true story. I wish the real women of calendar girls much success in their fund raising efforts. I watched with my wife and several older women from church. I would not be surprised to see them try a calendar as a fundraiser. I was disappointed to hear my wife decline to be in the calendar. You would definitely need bigger buns!
Linger-ie
posted on 24 Aug 2009After seeing the previews I already had my suspicions. After seeing it, these were only confirmed. A lot like love from the same director Nigel Cole and this have something in common: A style that can best be described as lingering, setting some atmosphere without being very much to-the-point. I guess you have to like this but I'm more a fan of directors who do not spoil a frame or my time. Especially in the first half the whole story revolves around one joke: that it is inappropriate for civilized ladies to pose naked.(And that joke is only mildly interesting for those living in less puritan environments.) Although the sketchy way the death of John is handled is interesting that's about all there is in the beginning. Later more themes are thrown in: family problems, downsides of success, group tensions, contrast between parochialism and Hollywood.The small-town mentality is well portrayed and acting (especially Helen Mirren) is certainly a cut above average. But this is so targeted at a certain demographic and age group that everyone else seems to be forgotten in the script. Even the problems of Jem are mostly viewed from an older perspective.